


Inquisitor's Debt

by JessKo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 19:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17493683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessKo/pseuds/JessKo
Summary: Having escaped the slaughter of Order 66, former Jedi padawan Kanan Jarrus has taken a young force sensitive under his wing to teach and protect. When a ghost from his past reemerges to threaten him and his student, Kanan must make a difficult sacrifice to ensure the survival of the Jedi's teachings and his Rebel family.





	1. Then

“Padawan, stop! Come here.”

Caleb Dume froze in his tracks, wind blowing the long brown robe he wore around his legs. Slowly, he turned around to find a temple guard looming behind him.

He had been caught sneaking around after hours. It’s not that the young Jedi padawan had been causing trouble, he really was just looking for a short cut back to his quarters after an evening spent out with friends. Regardless, he had been caught out after curfew and consequences would be had. Master Billaba would not be pleased, having warned him many times to not stay out late.

With long strides, the masked temple guard caught up with Caleb. The boy expected to be bombarded with questions and disdain, but instead was given a simple task.

“Come with me.”

Silently, the guard lead Caleb deep into the Jedi temple. Long minutes passed until they reached the destination- which happened to be one of Caleb’s least favorite places in the entire complex- the library.

“Isn’t the library closed now?” Caleb asked, stopping before closed double doors and hoping to get out of whatever activity the guard had planned for them.

“Not for us.” The guard said simply, throwing open one of the doors and entering the space.

The high ceilings and endless rows of data would impress most, but Caleb internally groaned. He would have preferred sanitizing the refreshers to reading some dull text with yet another droning instructor in the deserted library.

The temple guard continued to walk along at a quick clip as they passed the history and science files. The further within the library the guard went, the more Caleb’s mind wallowed in its own misery, constructing scenes of spending the whole night buried in dry information. Finally, at the very far end of the space, the guard turned down the aisle and went to the stairs.

Caleb hesitated at the first step. “You do realize that padawans are not allowed up there right? It’s the restricted section.” Was this guard new or something? Nothing was following any sort of protocol.

At the top of the flight, the guard turned to look down at Caleb, the steps increasing his already impressive stature to monumental.

“Padawans are not permitted into the restricted section unaccompanied, but there is no reason for you to be denied what a superior deems to be necessary knowledge.”

Caleb shrugged. “Alright.” He stated nonchalantly, then Caleb began to ascend the stairs. Things were starting to get interesting.

Not sure what he was expecting, Caleb could not help but be a touch awestruck at this never before seen section of the library. There were the usual rows of datacards, but also long shelves of real paper bound books. The temple guard was browsing one such shelf, and eventually pulled an aged red volume.

Reverently, the guard set the tome on a special table, indented so the book would be held open at an angle. Before the book was opened, however, the guard paused to remove his mask.

Caleb tried not to stare, but he had never seen such an alien before. Ghostly white skin was lined with grooves, and his eyes were deep set under a jutting hairless brow. Later research would reveal this to be a Pau’an, and a young one at that, hardly out of adolescence.

The guard opened the book finally, speaking with a slight lisp due to long, sharp teeth. “This book contains the final writings of Jedi Master Cer’tah.”

“Never heard of him.” Caleb said, crossing his arms. All the way to the restricted section just to be lectured by a long-dead master? It seemed his mind’s scenarios would come true after all.  

Surprisingly, the guard smiled as he looked down to the pages. “Yes, not many of your teachers would likely share such an… interesting perspective with you. Had I read this when I was your age…” He laughed, a mild chuckle. “I probably would not have caused half the trouble I did. Or at least of been caught. Sound familiar?” Caleb frowned, slightly embarrassed. “Please, come look.”

Now, Caleb was again intrigued despite the comment. The guard flipped to a certain page, about midway into the book.

Caleb read the section title aloud. “The secret corridors of Coruscant and how to utilize them.” He read it again, internally. “Wait, is this a…”

“Instructional guide? Partially, yes. I figured this particular chapter would be a fitting place to begin.” The guard wore a knowing grin.

Caleb returned a smile, reading down the page quickly to consume everything it had to offer. “This Master Cer’tah sounds like a pretty cool guy.” He concluded.

“I suppose that is one way to put it. I prefer to call him resourceful.” The guard offered.

A new voice, crisply accented, joined the chatter. “Gentlemen, I believe it is well past the young one’s curfew.”

Caleb whipped around to face none other than Master Obi-Wan.

“I am aware, master.” The guard responded curtly. Obi-Wan seemed to size the considerably taller being up, then looked towards Caleb.

“Mind you I am not even asking why a padawan is in this section.” Oddly enough, the master Jedi did not seem upset.

“We are simply pursuing higher knowledge, the thirst for information never sleeps after all.” Caleb had to fight back a snicker at the guard’s comment, spoken serious as stone.

“Well then, what might be quenching such a thirst on this night?” Obi-Wan asked.

Caleb took the opportunity to put in a word for himself. “The writings of Master Cer’tah.”

Obi-Wan’s face quickly was filled with a warm smile, curiosity sated. “Ah, I remember my first time reading this same text. I do hope you use the information held within these writings for the good of others, Caleb.”

The padawan nodded vigorously. “I will!”

The master Jedi turned to the shelves, plucking a datacard and copying it to a datapad. “It is still far to late to be out and about, however. So, take this instead.”

Caleb took the offered datapad and saw a full scan of the text was downloaded onto it.

The guard spoke next. “Master Obi-Wan is correct, I trust this time you will take the proper route to your quarters?”

“Yes, I will! Thank you both!” With a respectful bow of his head, Caleb shot down the stairs and out of the library, datapad clutched to his chest.

The guard smiled back at Obi-Wan. “I remember the night you introduced me to this text. I felt it was time to pass it onto the next generation.”

“You picked the right padawan, I see potential for much greatness within him.”


	2. Now

Kanan clutched his arm, a cauterized wound sending spears of pain through his body. Across the platform, his padawan, Ezra Bridger, lay unconscious. The Grand Inquisitor was rearing to charge again. He would need to be ready.

Tossing aside his busted lightsaber, Kanan used to force to draw Ezra’s from loose fingers. Wielding the awkwardly constructed device, Kanan ignited the green blade to meet a spinning red slash.

The Grand Inquisitor grunted, pressing down into the blow. Kanan fought against it but was barely holding on with Ezra at his side. Alone, he hardly stood a chance. After another parry, the Jedi leapt back to try and find an angle he could take advantage of, and to protect where Ezra lay. The Grand Inquisitor’s duel lightsaber left little opportunity for a window to take advantage of.

In what Kanan thought to be a cheap move, the Grand Inquisitor slid around to his left side, doubling his effort to crack the Jedi’s defenses. Kanan put everything he had into not allowing the Pau’an to come between him and Ezra, missing a few small chances in favor of bettering his stance.

“You are not even striking me!” The Grand Inquisitor sneered. “Are you more concerned with that child than your own life?”

“I will protect us both from scum like you!” Kanan retorted, barely dodging a sweep at his feet. The next attack would find it’s mark, however, and make a long gash across his knee.

Kannan cried out, striking the Pau’an across the knuckles. Not much damage was done to the Grand Inquisitor, but it did slice of one end of the dual light saber, the blade sputtering out instantly.

His stance weakened, the Grand Inquisitor forced Kanan away from the padawan and out onto a narrow bridge over the ship’s reactor. The fall would surely be lethal if one wrong step was taken. He would have to find some way to get the upper hand. Suddenly, Kanan had an idea at seeing the inquisitor’s stance with the single blade.

“You don’t fight like an Inquisitor!” He shouted across towards the Pau’an. “You hold that saber like a Jedi Knight!”

The Grand Inquisitor squinted yellow eyes, caught off guard. “Why should that matter?”

Kanan laugher nervously as the Grand Inquisitor took a step towards him, pointing at his target. “If I was blind, I’d think you were Obi-Wan Kenobi!”

The Pau’an’s face softened for just a moment, mouth agape. Kanan had struck a nerve with him, some strong memory. But this did not last long, and the Grand Inquisitor attacked with such power that Kanan slid back, his heels precariously over the edge.

With uncalculated pressure, Kanan unleashed a force push onto his assailant, sending the Grand Inquisitor flying back. It was not strong enough to knock the being off his feet, however. It did give Kanan a chance to probe the Pau’an’s memories, searching for more ammunition.

What he saw left Kanan breathless.

The Grand Inquisitor took full advantage of Kanan’s distracted state and let fourth a barbaric barrage.

“I’ll show you blind!” He screamed, slashing at Kanan’s face mercilessly.

 The Jedi blocked what he could, but a jab to his gut sent him doubling over right into an undercut swing, clipping the right side of his face. All he could see was red, searing pain.

Blinking away the pain as best as he could, one hand clutched at his burned eye while another wielded the green light saber. Teary vision caused his view of the Grand Inquisitor to blur, obscuring his features.

“It is you.”

The Inquisitor used the force to lift Kanan into the air, tossing him to the ground. Kanan lost his grip on Ezra’s light saber and it was pitched over the edge of the bridge.

Kanan was soon to follow, slipping over the edge. His free hand was the only thing holding him away from certain death. The Grand Inquisitor made quick work of probing his mind, haplessly flipping through it like the pages of a book.

“Caleb?”

Kanan nodded once, strained to his limit and about to break. “Guilty as charged.” Somehow, he was still able to make a signature snide comeback. Had the circumstances been different, the Grand Inquisitor might of found it endearing.

“I expected better from you. Obi-Wan promised me that you would have potential. This is pathetic.”

The Pau’an turned to leave, but Kanan cried out. “Wait!”

On a whim, the Grand Inquisitor turned back to the struggling Jedi. “Yes?” He decided to humor him, a last act in honor of their past.

“I do have potential, and he is lying right across the way. Ezra.”

“Yes I suppose I could try and recruit the little Loth-Rat instead of killing him on the spot. He’s a fighter.”

“No!” Kanan coughed out, his fingers nearly numb from the strain of holding his entire body weight. He peeled the other hand from his eye, the pain would have made the task impossible had he not been literally on the edge of death. “No- I saw your thoughts too. You are not treated well here, wasted on the whims of Vader! I saw what he does to you. What he would do if you fail this mission.”

Unconsciously, the Pau’an traced one of the blood-red lines trailing down from his eyes. “Go on.”

“Take Ezra back to the Ghost, train him. That is our purpose, isn’t it?” Kanan offered, harkening back to an overheard conversation from years ago.

“To pass our knowledge to the next generation.” The Grand Inquisitor said softly.

“Exactly! Now please, help-“ Kanan was interrupted by a sudden lurching of the ship- the Rebels attack now well underway. His fingers slipped dangerously, he held on by just the tips. The rapid ignition of the reactor made the whole platform quake further.

The last thing Caleb Dume saw was yellow eyes dim, flashing silver. Kanan smiled.

The Grand Inquisitor frowned, barely keeping his balance and striding off the narrow bridge towards Ezra. The boy stirred, murmuring anxiously as if trapped in a bad dream. He set what was left of his own saber alongside Kanan’s charred one onto his belt. Then stooping down, the Grand Inquisitor lifted Ezra into his arms.

There was no turning back now.

The Pau’an raced through panicked halls of the ship, barreling into the hangar and slipping into his personal TIE fighter. He set Ezra down in the space behind the seat and activated the engines.

Once out of range of the dying ship, he sent a transmission out on a known rebel frequency.

“To whoever may be listening, I have Ezra Bridger aboard my craft and he is in critical condition. Direct me to a rendezvous point so we may ensure his safety.”

The pause of silence that ensued after words was deafeningly long.

Finally, after several minutes came a response.

“Unknown TIE craft, this is Hera Syndulla of the Ghost. For the sake of Ezra, we will meet on neutral ground. There will be no ransom, no bargain. Just Ezra’s safety.”

He replied quickly. “These terms are agreeable, please send coordinates.”

The display within his TIE Fighter lit up with the destination. He entered them into the ship and entered hyperspace, saying a silent farewell to what was his life as the Grand Inquisitor.

Whatever came next was all because he decided to intervene in one padawan’s life as Obi-Wan Kenobi had his own. The force did indeed work in surprising ways.


End file.
